Identification-tag



J. l. TOY.

IDENTIFICATION TAG. APPLICATION man APR. 2', 19'20.

A TTORNEY Paientefi May 2 1, 1921.

UNETEE JAMES J. TOY, 035 WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

Application filed April 2,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that J AMES J. ToY, a citlzen of the United States of America, residing at Washington, District of Columbia, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Identification-Tags, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to identlfication tags primarily for marking articles of apparel and the like in laundries.

Heretofore it has been the custom to mark such goods with pen and ink or by passing them through a marking machine. It has also been proposed to use a pm, somewhat similar to the ordinary safety pin for identification purposes, such pins bearing serial numbers or other distinctive markings. These methods have been unsatlsfactory due to the labor and expense incident to their use, and for the further reason that many articles could not be conveniently handled in a marking machine while others would not take a legible mark. F urthermore the use of pins has proven objectionable due to the fact that in passing through the ironing machines, they not infrequently become bent or otherwise mutilated with a consequent damage to the article to which they are attached.

My invention has for its object the provision of a simple, inexpensive identification tag, the use of which will obviate the foregoing difficulties and objections.

In the accompanying drawings wherein I have illustrated a practical embodiment of my invention:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a tag made in accordance with my invention, the pin being detached therefrom;

Fig. 2 is a reverse plan view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the tag taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. .L is a perspective view of the tag and its attaching pin applied to a piece of fabric, as a handkerchief, or the like.

Referring more particularly to the drawings 5 denotes a disk of any suitable flexible spring sheet material. In actual practlce I have found sheet aluminum, celluloid, fiber or tin to give excellent results but any rust proof sheet material having the desired strength and resiliency may be employed. This disk 5 is formed with two spaced parallel transverse slots or openings 6 and 7. Extending at right angles to the slot 6 and terminating adjacent the edge 8 of the disk Specification of Letters )Patent.

IDENTIFICATION-TAG.

Patented May 24L, 1921. 1920. Serial No. 370,677.

5 is a groove or channel 9 at the end of which is formed a slight enlargement 10.

second groove or channel 11 extends away from and at right angles to the transyerse slot 7. This groove 11 is interrupted intermediate of its length as at 15, such interrupted portion being spanned or bridged by the strap 17 integrally formed with the disk. The grooves or channels 9 and 11 extend in opposing directions but in alinement one with the other, for a purpose presently to be described.

The disk 5 is preferably stamped from a strip of material (not shown) and preferably during such stamping operation the slots 6 and 7, grooves 9 and 11, enlargement l0 and strap 17 are formed in a single operation. This can readily be effected by the use of suitable upper and lower dies (not shown).

Any suitable mark of identification such as the serial number A 100 may be stamped or otherwise placed upon the face 16 of the disk and it will be understood that in actual practice a sufiicient number of disks each bearing the same serial number will be employed to tag each article of a single customers bundle.

The disks 5 are secured to the articles to be laundried by means of ordinary headed pins 18 as indicated in Fig. 3. In order to attach the pins 18 the marker or other operator holds the disk in superposed position upon the article 19 with one hand and with his other hand inserts the point of the pin through the slot 6, thence underneath the central body portion 20 of the disk and through the slot 7 into the interrupted groove 11 and beneath the strap 17. The point of the pin finally seats in the outer extremity of the interrupted groove 11 while the head 20 of the pin seats in the enlargement 10 of the groove or channel 9. The grooves or channels 9 and 11 serve as guides for the pin during this operation. The resiliency of the disk 5 permits of slightly bending the latter thus enabling the operator to the more readily properly position the pin.

When the disks have served their purpose, that is after the articles to which they are attached have been laundried and checked, the pins are withdrawn and placed in a pincushion or the like and the disks placed in trays or other receptacles bearing marks of identification corresponding to the marking on the disks. Thus, it will be seen that the disks are always ready for use and furthermore if a disk is missing from its tray after a lot has been checked ofii the checker will immediately know that an article is unaccounted for.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

An identification tag for marking laundry comprising a substantially broad fiat disk of flexible sheet material, said disk having spaced transverse slots therein, and 10ngitudinally disposed grooves communicating V with said slots and a headed pin adapted to be threaded through said slots and seated 15 in said grooves, whereby said pin may be removed and the pin and disk again used. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses. r

JAMES J. TOY.

Witnesses:

T. H. MOORE, L. LIILLS 

